Power Transfer System With Patient Support Apparatus And Power Transfer Device To Transfer Power To The Patient Support Apparatus

ABSTRACT

A power transfer system comprises a patient support apparatus and a power transfer device. The power transfer system provides convenience and ease of connection between a power source and the patient support apparatus to provide power to one or more electrically powered devices on the patient support apparatus or to provide energy for an energy storage device on the patient support apparatus.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The subject patent application is a Continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/168,170, filed on Oct. 23, 2018, which claimspriority to and all the benefits of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/576,309, filed on Oct. 24, 2017, the disclosures of each of whichare hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Patient support apparatuses, such as hospital beds, stretchers, cots,tables, wheelchairs, and chairs facilitate care of patients in a healthcare setting. Conventional patient support apparatuses comprise severalelectrically powered devices to carry out desired functions in caringfor the patient. When the patient support apparatus is located in apatient room, for instance, the patient support apparatus is connectedto a fixed power source, such as conventional wall outlet power, toprovide energy to these electrically powered devices. Usually, a powercord is required to connect the patient support apparatus to the walloutlet power. The patient support apparatus also typically carries oneor more batteries to provide energy to the electrically powered deviceswhen the patient support apparatus is unable to connect to the walloutlet power, such as during transport or when located outside of thepatient room.

Patient care increasingly demands more and more attention fromcaregivers and any activities that distract the caregiver from thepatient are undesirable — one such activity is plugging the power cordfrom the patient support apparatus into the wall outlet power. Wirelesspower transfer methods have been suggested to simplify connecting to apower source. However, owing to the large (and often unwieldy) nature ofmany patient support apparatuses, caregivers will likely have troublealigning a wireless power receiver on the patient support apparatus witha wireless power transmitter located in the patient's room. Forinstance, the caregiver may not have good line-of-sight to both thewireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver and may beunable to visualize when alignment is achieved. Good alignment may bedesirable to ensure efficient power transfer.

A power transfer system with a patient support apparatus and powertransfer device designed to overcome one or more of the aforementioneddisadvantages is desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is perspective view of a patient support apparatus with a powerreceiver assembly mounted to a base.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the patient support apparatus in relationto a power transfer device located in a floor.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the power receiver assembly of thepatient support apparatus and a power transmitter assembly of the powertransfer device.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the power transmitter assembly andthe power receiver assembly illustrating actuators that move a powertransmitter and/or power receiver to align the power transmitter withthe power receiver.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative patient support apparatuswith a power receiver assembly coupled to a support frame.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the patient support apparatus of FIG. 5 inrelation to an alternative power transfer device located in a wall.

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of the power receiver assembly and apower transmitter assembly of the power transfer device of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a control system.

FIG. 9A is an illustration of an alternative power transfer devicecomprising an articulating robotic arm unconnected to the patientsupport apparatus.

FIG. 9B is an illustration of the power transfer device of FIG. 9Aillustrating the robotic arm connected to the patient support apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a control system for the alternativepower transfer device of FIG. 9B.

FIG. 11 is an illustration of an alternative power transfer devicelocated in a hallway to transfer power to a patient support apparatus.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are illustrations of another power transfer device inthe form of a mobile rover that docks with a patient support apparatusto transfer power to the patient support apparatus.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a control system for the rover of FIGS.12 and 13 illustrating connection to the patient support apparatus.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of the control system for the rover of FIGS.12 and 13 illustrating connection to a charging station.

FIG. 16 is an illustration of another patient support apparatus with amanual alignment system in relation to a power transfer device locatedin the floor.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an alignment guide of a power receiverassembly of the patient support apparatus of FIG. 16 prior to engagementwith a power transmitter assembly of the power transfer device of FIG.16.

FIG. 18 is an illustration of a cot having a power receiver and aloading system having a latch assembly with a power transmitter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a patient support apparatus 30 is shown forsupporting a patient in a health care setting. The patient supportapparatus 30 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a hospital bed. In otherembodiments, however, the patient support apparatus 30 may comprise astretcher, cot, table, wheelchair, chair, or similar apparatus utilizedin the care of a patient.

A support structure 32 provides support for the patient. The supportstructure 32 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a base 34 and a supportframe 36. The base 34 comprises a base frame 35. The support frame 36 isspaced above the base frame 35 in FIG. 1. The support structure 32 alsocomprises a patient support deck 38 disposed on the support frame 36.The patient support deck 38 comprises several sections, some of whichare capable of articulating (e.g., pivoting) relative to the supportframe 36, such as a fowler section, a seat section, a thigh section, anda foot section. The patient support deck 38 provides a patient supportsurface 42 upon which the patient is supported.

A mattress (not shown) is disposed on the patient support deck 38 duringuse. The mattress comprises a secondary patient support surface uponwhich the patient is supported. The base 34, support frame 36, patientsupport deck 38, and patient support surfaces 42 each have a head endand a foot end corresponding to a designated placement of the patient'shead and feet on the patient support apparatus 30. The base 34 comprisesa longitudinal axis X along its length from the head end to the footend. The base 34 also comprises a vertical axis V arranged crosswise(e.g., perpendicularly) to the longitudinal axis X along which thesupport frame 36 is lifted and lowered relative to the base 34. Theconstruction of the support structure 32 may take on any known orconventional design, and is not limited to that specifically set forthabove. In addition, the mattress may be omitted in certain embodiments,such that the patient rests directly on the patient support surface 42.

Side rails 44, 46, 48, 50 are coupled to the support frame 36 andthereby supported by the base 34. A first side rail 44 is positioned ata right head end of the support frame 36. A second side rail 46 ispositioned at a right foot end of the support frame 36. A third siderail 48 is positioned at a left head end of the support frame 36. Afourth side rail 50 is positioned at a left foot end of the supportframe 36. If the patient support apparatus 30 is a stretcher or a cot,there may be fewer side rails. The side rails 44, 46, 48, 50 are movablebetween a raised position in which they block ingress and egress intoand out of the patient support apparatus 30, one or more intermediatepositions, and a lowered position in which they are not an obstacle tosuch ingress and egress. In still other configurations, the patientsupport apparatus 30 may not include any side rails.

A headboard 52 and a footboard 54 are coupled to the support frame 36.In other embodiments, when the headboard 52 and footboard 54 areincluded, the headboard 52 and footboard 54 may be coupled to otherlocations on the patient support apparatus 30, such as the base 34. Instill other embodiments, the patient support apparatus 30 does notinclude the headboard 52 and/or the footboard 54.

Caregiver interfaces 56, such as handles, are shown integrated into thefootboard 54 and side rails 44, 46, 48, 50 to facilitate movement of thepatient support apparatus 30 over floor surfaces. Additional caregiverinterfaces 56 may be integrated into the headboard 52 and/or othercomponents of the patient support apparatus 30. The caregiver interfaces56 are graspable by the caregiver to manipulate the patient supportapparatus 30 for movement.

Other forms of the caregiver interface 56 are also contemplated. Thecaregiver interface may comprise one or more handles coupled to thesupport frame 36. The caregiver interface may simply be a surface on thepatient support apparatus 30 upon which the caregiver logically appliesforce to cause movement of the patient support apparatus 30 in one ormore directions, also referred to as a push location. This may compriseone or more surfaces on the support frame 36 or base 34. This could alsocomprise one or more surfaces on or adjacent to the headboard 52,footboard 54, and/or side rails 44, 46, 48, 50. In other embodiments,the caregiver interface may comprise separate handles for each hand ofthe caregiver. For example, the caregiver interface may comprise twohandles.

Wheels 58 are coupled to the base 34 to facilitate transport over thefloor surfaces. The wheels 58 are arranged in each of four quadrants ofthe base 34 adjacent to corners of the base 34. In the embodiment shown,the wheels 58 are caster wheels able to rotate and swivel relative tothe support structure 32 during transport. Each of the wheels 58 formspart of a caster assembly 60. Each caster assembly 60 is mounted to thebase 34. It should be understood that various configurations of thecaster assemblies 60 are contemplated. In addition, in some embodiments,the wheels 58 are not caster wheels and may be non-steerable, steerable,non-powered, powered, or combinations thereof. Additional wheels arealso contemplated. For example, the patient support apparatus 30 maycomprise four non-powered, non-steerable wheels, along with one or morepowered wheels. In some cases, the patient support apparatus 30 may notinclude any wheels.

In other embodiments, one or more auxiliary wheels (powered ornon-powered), which are movable between stowed positions and deployedpositions, may be coupled to the support structure 32. In some cases,when these auxiliary wheels are located between caster assemblies 60 andcontact the floor surface in the deployed position, they cause two ofthe caster assemblies 60 to be lifted off the floor surface therebyshortening a wheel base of the patient support apparatus 30. A fifthwheel may also be arranged substantially in a center of the base 34.

The patient support apparatus 30 comprises one or more electricallypowered devices PD (see FIG. 8) that are employed to perform one or morefunctions of the patient support apparatus 30 in caring for the patient.Such powered devices PD may comprise, for example, electric actuators,electric motors, electronic displays, electronic user interfaces,electronic therapy devices, communication devices, lighting systems, andthe like. When the patient support apparatus 30 is stationary for longperiods of time, such as when the patient support apparatus 30 islocated in a patient room, a fixed power source FPS may be employed toprovide energy to the powered devices PD. The fixed power source FPS maybe conventional facility power routed in a network throughout afacility, such as a hospital. An energy storage device B (see FIG. 8) islocated on the patient support apparatus 30 to store energy utilized topower these powered devices PD, particularly when the patient supportapparatus 30 is being transported away from the patient room. The energystorage device B may comprise batteries, capacitors, and the like. Theenergy storage device B requires charging from time-to-time via thefixed power source FPS or a mobile power source, as described furtherbelow.

As shown in FIG. 2, a power transfer system transfers energy from thefixed power source FPS to the patient support apparatus 30. The powertransfer system comprises a power transfer device 70 provided totransfer power to a power receiver assembly 76 on the patient supportapparatus 30. Referring to FIG. 3, the power transfer device 70comprises a power transmitter assembly 72 with a power transmitter 74configured to transfer power to the power receiver assembly 76. Thepower receiver assembly 76 comprises a power receiver 78. The powertransmitter 74 is coupled to the fixed power source FPS and the powerreceiver 78 is coupled to the powered devices PD and the energy storagedevice B on the patient support apparatus 30 (see FIG. 8). In oneembodiment, the power transmitter 74 is configured to transfer powerwireles sly to the power receiver 78, such as through inductivecoupling.

The power transmitter 74 may comprise one or more coils and the powerreceiver 78 may comprise one or more coils. The coils of the powertransmitter 74 create a magnetic field that, when the coils of the powerreceiver 78 are positioned nearby, creates electrical current within thecoils of the power receiver 78 and within any electrical connections tothe power receiver 78. The patient support apparatus 30 harnesses theelectrical energy inductively generated within the coils of the powerreceiver 78 for providing electrical power to the electrically powereddevices PD directly or indirectly, such as through the energy storagedevice B. Various sizes, shapes, and types of coils of the powertransmitter 74 and/or the power receiver 78 are contemplated.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the power receiver 78 is coupled tothe base 34 of the support structure 32. However, the power receiver 78may be located at any suitable location on the patient support apparatus30. In FIG. 6, the power receiver 78 is mounted to the support frame 36.The power transfer device 70 is located in the floor adjacent to thefloor surface F in FIG. 3 so that the power transmitter 74 isextendable/retractable with respect to the floor surface F. However, thepower transfer device 70 may be located at any suitable location totransfer power to the power receiver 78. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the powertransfer device 70 is located in a wall adjacent to a wall surface W.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 8, an alignment system 80 is provided toalign the power transmitter 74 with the power receiver 78 so thatefficient energy transfer occurs from the power transmitter 74 to thepower receiver 78. Alignment may comprise any alignment between thepower transmitter 74 and the power receiver 78, such as verticalalignment, longitudinal alignment, lateral alignment, combinationsthereof, and the like. Alignment may also comprise distance alignment,e.g., placing the power transmitter 74 within a desired distance of thepower receiver 78 and/or may comprise orientation alignment so that thecoils of the power receiver 78 are in a desired orientation to the coilsof the power transmitter 74. Other forms of alignment are alsocontemplated. In some cases, the distance between the coils of the powertransmitter 74 and coils of the power receiver 78 is desired to be lessthan a wavelength of the frequency used for inductive coupling to ensureeffective energy transfer. Orientations in which a large amount ofmagnetic field passes through the coils of the power receiver 78 may bedesired for high energy transfer efficiency.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the alignment system 80 comprises a firstcarrier 82 coupled to the power transmitter 74 and a second carrier 84coupled to the power receiver 78. The alignment system 80 furthercomprises one or more actuators A1, A2 arranged to move one or both ofthe carriers 82, 84 relative to housings 81, 83 to align the powertransmitter 74 and the power receiver 78 in any manner previouslydescribed. The actuators A1, A2 may be electric, hydraulic, pneumatic,or combinations thereof. The actuators A1, A2 may be rotary actuators,linear actuators, and the like. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2-8, thecarriers 82, 84 are movable relative to the support structure 32, thefloor surface F, and/or the wall surface W to align the powertransmitter 74 and the power receiver 78.

Two actuators A1 are shown in FIG. 4 coupled to the power receiver 78 tomove the power receiver 78 along longitudinal and/or lateral axes (x andy axes), respectively, during alignment. Each of these actuators A1comprises a motor M1, M2, a drive screw DS1, DS2 rotatably driven by themotor M1, M2, and a nut N1, N2 threadably received on the drive screwDS1, D2 to slide along the drive screw DS1, DS2. The nuts N1, N2 areconstrained from rotation so that they translate along the drive screwsDS1, DS2 during actuation to adjust the x, y position of the powerreceiver 78 (x position adjusted by moving to left and right in FIG. 4and y position adjusted by moving into/out of FIG. 4).

In the example shown, a first drive screw DS1 is rotatably supported inthe housing 81 (via bearings) to adjust the x position of the secondcarrier 84. A first nut N1 translates along the first drive screw DS1upon operation of a first motor M1. A second nut N2, second motor M2,and second drive screw DS2 are carried by the first nut N1 duringtranslation of the first nut N1 along the x-axis. The second nut N2translates along the second drive screw DS2 upon operation of the secondmotor M2. In this embodiment, the carrier 84 comprises the second nutN2, which moves in both x and y directions. In some embodiments, onlythe x and/or y positions are adjusted during alignment.

One actuator A2 is configured to move the power transmitter 74 relativeto the floor surface F, such as by extending/retracting the powertransmitter 74 with respect to the housing 83. This actuator A2 mayretract the power transmitter 74 completely into the floor at or beneaththe floor surface F so that the power transmitter 74 avoids collisionswith the wheels 58 of the patient support apparatus 30. The firstcarrier 82 comprises a post and the actuator A2 extends/retracts thepost to extend/retract the power transmitter 74 relative to the powerreceiver 78 to transfer power. The actuator A2 comprises an electriclinear actuator in the embodiment shown having a casing fixed to thehousing 83 and the post extends/retracts relative to the housing 83during actuation. It should be appreciated that the actuators A1 couldbe used to move the power transmitter 74 and the actuator A2 could beused to move the power receiver 78. Other combinations, types, andarrangements of actuators are possible.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 through 7, the power receiver 78 ismounted to the support frame 36 adjacent to the headboard 52 and thepower transfer device 70 is located in the wall adjacent to the wallsurface W. In this embodiment, referring to FIG. 7, two actuators A1 arecoupled to the power receiver 78 to move the power receiver 78 alongvertical and/or lateral axes (z and y axes), respectively, duringalignment. These actuators A1 operate in the same manner described inFIG. 4. One actuator A2 is configured to move the power transmitter 74relative to the wall surface W, such as extending/retracting the powertransmitter 74 with respect the wall surface W. This actuator A2operates in the same manner described in FIG. 4. This actuator A2 mayretract the power transmitter 74 completely into the wall at or beneaththe wall surface W so that the power transmitter 74 avoids collisionswith the patient support apparatus 30 or other equipment moving in thepatient room. The power transmitter 74 comprises a post attached to thefirst carrier 82 and the actuator A2 extends and retracts the post toextend/retract the power transmitter 74 relative to the power receiver78 to transfer power.

Referring to FIG. 8, a control system is provided to control operationof the patient support apparatus 30 and the power transfer device 70.The control system comprises an apparatus controller 90 and a powertransfer controller 92. Each of the controllers 90, 92 have one or moremicroprocessors, microcontrollers, field programmable gate arrays,systems on a chip, discrete circuitry, and/or other suitable hardware,software, or firmware that is capable of carrying out the functionsdescribed herein. The controllers 90, 92 may communicate with a networkvia one or more communication devices C, which may be wirelesstransceivers that communicate via one or more known wirelesscommunication protocols such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and the like.Wired communication is also contemplated. Additionally, the controllers90, 92 may communicate with each other via the communication devices Csuch that the apparatus controller 90 could be configured to carry outall the functions of the power transfer controller 92 described herein,and vice versa. In some cases, only a single controller is needed toperform the functions recited herein.

The apparatus controller 90 may be carried on-board the patient supportapparatus 30, or may be remotely located. In one embodiment, theapparatus controller 90 is mounted to the base 34. In other embodiments,the apparatus controller 90 is mounted to the footboard 54. Theapparatus controller 90 is coupled to the powered devices PD in a mannerthat allows the apparatus controller 90 to control the powered devicesPD (connections shown schematically in FIG. 8). The apparatus controller90 is also coupled to the power receiver assembly 76 to controloperation of the power receiver 78 and the actuators A1 coupled to thepower receiver 78. The apparatus controller 90 may communicate with thepowered devices PD, actuators A1, and/or power receiver 78 via wired orwireless connections to perform one of more desired functions. The powertransfer controller 92 is coupled to the power transmitter assembly 72to control operation of the power transmitter 74 and the actuator A2coupled to the power transmitter 74. The power transfer controller 92may communicate with the actuator A2 and the power transmitter 74 viawired or wireless connections to perform one or more desired functions.

The controllers 90, 92 are configured to process instructions or toprocess algorithms stored in memory to control operation of theactuators A1, A2, the power transmitter 74, and/or the power receiver 78to align the power transmitter 74 and the power receiver 78. Thecontrollers 90, 92 may be configured to move only one of the powertransmitter 74 and power receiver 78, or to move both of the powertransmitter 74 and power receiver 78. The controllers 90, 92 andactuators A1, A2 may move the power transmitter 74 and/or the powerreceiver 78 in one degree of freedom, two degrees of freedom, threedegrees of freedom, or more degrees of freedom relative to each other.

The controllers 90, 92 may monitor a current state of the actuators A1,A2 and determine desired states in which the actuators A1, A2 should beplaced, based on one or more input signals that the controllers 90, 92receive from one or more input devices, such as from a sensor systemcomprising sensors S integrated into the actuators A1, A2. The state ofthe actuators A1, A2 may be a position, a relative position, an angle,an energization status (e.g., on/off), or any other parameter of theactuators A1, A2. The sensors S also provide input to the controllers90, 92 associated with various states of the patient support apparatus30 and the power transfer device 70. For instance, a sensor S may beprovided to determine if energy is being actively transferred from thepower transmitter 74 to the power receiver 78. The sensors S maycomprise potentiometers, optical sensors, hall-effect sensors, encoders,accelerometers, gyroscopes, inclinometers, electric circuits, resistors,coils, etc.

The user, such as a caregiver, may actuate a user input device UI (seeFIG. 8), which transmits a corresponding input signal to the apparatuscontroller 90 and/or the transfer controller 92 to initiate powertransfer from the power transmitter 74 to the power receiver 78. Theuser input devices UI may comprise any device capable of being actuatedby the user. The user input devices UI may be configured to be actuatedin a variety of different ways, including but not limited to, mechanicalactuation (hand, foot, finger, etc.), hands-free actuation (voice, foot,etc.), and the like. The patient support apparatus 30 may also compriseuser input devices UI to actuate the powered devices PD. The user inputdevices UI may comprise buttons, such as separate buttons correspondingto lift, lower, Trendelenburg, reverse Trendelenburg, raise backsection, lower back section, raise leg section, lower leg section, raisefoot section, lower foot section, etc.

The user input devices UI may also comprise a gesture sensing device formonitoring motion of hands, feet, or other body parts of the user (suchas through a camera), a microphone for receiving voice activationcommands, a foot pedal, and a sensor (e.g., infrared sensor such as alight bar or light beam to sense a user's body part, ultrasonic sensor,etc.). Additionally, the buttons/pedals can be physical buttons/pedalsor virtually implemented buttons/pedals such as through opticalprojection or on a touchscreen. The buttons/pedals may also bemechanically connected or drive-by-wire type buttons/pedals where a userapplied force actuates a sensor, such as a switch or potentiometer. Itshould be appreciated that any combination of user input devices I mayalso be utilized. The user input devices UI may be located on one of theside rails 44, 46, 48, 50, the headboard 52, the footboard 54, or othersuitable locations. The user input devices UI may also be located on aportable electronic device (e.g., iWatch®, iPhone®, iPad®, or similarelectronic devices).

Locators L may be coupled to the alignment system 80 and configured tolocate one or more of the power receiver 78 and the power transmitter 74to facilitate alignment of the power transmitter 74 and the powerreceiver 78 via the actuators A1, A2. The locators L may comprisesensors coupled to the alignment system 80 and configured to sense theone or more of the power receiver 78 and the power transmitter 74 tofacilitate alignment of the power transmitter 74 and the power receiver78. More specifically, the controllers 90, 92 utilize signals from thelocators L as feedback to control operation of the actuators A1, A2 toachieve desired alignment of the power transmitter 74 and the powerreceiver 78.

Referring back to FIG. 4, for example, the locators L may comprisehall-effect sensors S and corresponding magnets MAG wherein thehall-effect sensors S generate variable signals based on the relativealignment of the magnets MAG with the hall-effect sensors S. Forinstance, hall-effect sensors S may be connected to the powertransmitter 74 while magnets MAG are connected to the power receiver 78.When all the magnets MAG are in desired alignment with theircorresponding hall-effect sensor S (e.g, around a periphery of the powertransmitter 74/power receiver 78), then corresponding alignment signalsfrom all the hall-effect sensors S will be received by the powertransfer controller 92 indicating that desired alignment has beenachieved. Alternatively, the locators L may comprise optical sensors Sand corresponding markers MAR wherein alignment is achieved once each ofthe optical sensors S is able to view a corresponding marker MAR. Otherways of verifying alignment and providing corresponding alignmentfeedback to the controllers 90, 92 to operate the actuators A1, A2 toachieve alignment have been contemplated. The controllers 90, 92 may beconfigured to operate one or more of the actuators A1, A2 in anautomated manner to move at least one of the power receiver 78 and thepower transmitter 74 to align with the other of the power receiver 78and the power transmitter 74 based on signals from the locators L.

Referring back to the schematic diagram of FIG. 8, sensors S areconfigured to determine if power is being transferred from the powertransmitter 74 to the power receiver 78. In some cases, only one sensoris used. The sensor S may be coupled to the apparatus controller 90 andthe power receiver 78 to generate a signal that varies in response tothe power receiver 78 being energized during power transfer. A separatesensor S may also be connected to the power transfer controller 92 andused to verify that the coils of the power transmitter 74 are active—toavoid a false signal from the sensor S associated with the powerreceiver 78. The sensors S may also be able to determine, throughconnection to the apparatus controller 90 and/or the power transfercontroller 92, the efficiency of power transfer wherein higherefficiency means that more energy is being transferred per unit time.The controllers 90, 92 may be configured to control the alignment system80 to automatically operate one or more of the actuators A1, A2 based onfeedback from the sensors S to increase the efficiency of powertransfer. In other words, alignment can be feedback-based to increaseefficiency by better aligning the power receiver 78 with the magneticfield generated by the power transmitter 74. The sensors S may compriseone or more of the coils of the power receiver 78 and/or the coils ofthe power transmitter 74, separate coils connected to the apparatuscontroller 90 and/or power transfer controller 92, hall-effect sensorsto sense changes in magnetic field, and the like.

One or more indicators I are coupled to the apparatus controller 90and/or the power transfer controller 92. The indicators I are arrangedto indicate that power is being transferred from the power transmitter74 to the power receiver 78 based on the signals from the sensors S. Theindicators I could be used in any of the embodiments described hereinfor this purpose. The indicators I comprise one or more of a visualindicator, an audible indicator, and a tactile indicator. The indicatorsI associated with the power transfer device 70 may be located on oradjacent to the power transmitter 74, on the floor surface F, on thewall surface W, on a user interface UI coupled to the power transfercontroller 92, or any other suitable location. The indicators Iassociated with the patient support apparatus 30 may be located on oradjacent to the power receiver assembly 76, the base 34, the headboard52 and/or footboard 54, the side rails 44, 46, 48, 50, or any othersuitable locations. The indicators I may comprise LEDs, displays,speakers, eccentric motors to generate tactile feedback, piezoelectricdevices, and the like.

A state detector SD is coupled to the apparatus controller 90 todetermine a state of the energy storage device B. The state of theenergy storage device B may comprise an energy level of the energystorage device B, a current capacity of the energy storage device B,whether the energy storage device B is being actively charged, when theenergy storage device B will be depleted, a time remaining for operationof the patient support apparatus 30 based on the current state of theenergy storage device B, and the like. The state detector SD maycomprise any suitable electronic component or circuitry for measuringsuch states. For instance, the state detector SD may comprise one ormore of a voltmeter, an amp-hour meter, and the like. Such states canalso be indicated to the user via additional indicators I.

Referring to FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10, an alternative power transfer device100 is shown. This power transfer device 100 comprises a robotic arm 102having articulating segments 104 driven by one or more robot motors RMS(see FIG. 10). For instance, the articulating segments 104 may be moveddirectly by joint motors or may be steered by cables routed through thearticulating segments 104 and connected to the robot motors RMS.

The power transfer device 100 also comprises a power transmitterassembly 106 having a power transmitter 108. Similar to the powertransfer device 70 previously described, the power transfer device 100is located, for instance, in the patient room and is connected to thefixed power source FPS. A power receiver assembly 110 having a powerreceiver 112 is provided on the patient support apparatus 30. Therobotic arm 102 supports the power transmitter 108 at a distal end ofthe robotic arm 102. Thus, the robotic arm 102 acts as a carrier for thepower transmitter 108. The robotic arm 102 is movable to align the powertransmitter 108 with the power receiver 112 on the patient supportapparatus 30 to transfer power from the fixed power source FPS to thepatient support apparatus 30, such as by inductive coupling, aspreviously described. Alternatively, the power transmitter 108 and thepower receiver 112 may be physically engaged in a wired powerconnection.

The power transfer device 100 may comprise a base 101 that is configuredto rest stationary on the floor surface F or the wall surface W.Alternatively, the base 101 may be movable relative to the floor surfaceF and the wall surface W. For example, in one embodiment, the base 101may be supported on wheels 103 (such as caster wheels) so that the base101 is able to be manually moved for purposes of storage, connecting toother patient support apparatuses 30 and the like. The wheels 103 may bepowered to assist with movement to be controlled by a user and/or couldbe part of an autonomous movement system of the power transfer device100, similar to a mobile rover 200 described below.

In other embodiments, the base 101 could be movable along rails ortracks, such as the rails 105 shown in phantom in FIG. 9A. In thisversion, the rails 105 extend between blocks with the base 101 beingslidably supported on the rails above the floor surface F for easymaneuvering from one patient transport apparatus 30 to another. The base101 may comprise rollers (not shown) or other low friction devices toroll/ride along the rails 105. The rails or tracks may alternatively, oradditionally, be placed along the wall surface W so that the base 101slides along the wall surface W. Any of the adjustment mechanisms shownin FIG. 4 to move the power transmitter/receiver could likewise be usedto move the base 101 in multiple degrees of freedom.

A controller 114 is shown in FIG. 10 to control movement of the roboticarm 102 to align the power transmitter 108 and the power receiver 112.In particular, the controller 114 employs a robot control module thatprovides commands to the robot motors RMS of the robotic arm 102 to movethe robotic arm and the power transmitter 108 as desired. As shown inFIG. 9A, the power receiver 112 may be located in a port in the powerreceiver assembly 110 of the patient support apparatus 30 such that therobotic arm 102 provides a successful power transfer connection byinserting the power transmitter 108 into the port. The power transmitter108 and the power receiver 112 may also comprise magnetically attractivecouplers so that the power transmitter 108 is secured to the powerreceiver 112 during energy transfer. Similar to the embodimentsdescribed above, locators L may be used by the controller 114 asfeedback to guide the robotic arm 102 and align the power transmitter108 with the power receiver 112. Any suitable robotic mechanism may beused to move the power transmitter 108 relative to the power receiver112, such as a serial robotic arm, a snake robot, and the like.

Referring to FIG. 11, another power transfer device 200 is shown. Thepower transfer device 200 comprises a power transmitter assembly 202with a power transmitter 204. Similar to the previously describedembodiments, the power transfer device 200 is coupled to the fixed powersource FPS to transfer energy from the fixed power source FPS to thepatient support apparatus 30, such as by inductive coupling. A powerreceiver assembly 206 is coupled to the patient support apparatus 30 andcomprises a power receiver 208. The power transmitter 204 is configuredto engage and physically contact the power receiver 208 in someembodiments. The power transmitter 204 comprises a first coupling 210and the power receiver 208 comprises a second coupling 212 adapted toengage the first coupling 210 to transfer power. The couplings 210, 212may be configured to magnetically engage one another by employingmagnets, magnetically attractive materials, and/or the like. The firstcoupling 210 may be tethered to a housing 214 of the power transferdevice 200 with an electrically conductive conduit, e.g., cord, etc. Thesecond coupling 212 may be fixed to the footboard 54 of the patientsupport apparatus 30 or may be located at any other convenient locationon the patient support apparatus 30. The couplings 210, 212 mayadditionally or alternatively comprise mating components such as aprotruding post sized and shaped to engage a correspondingly sized andshaped pocket.

Multiple power transmitters 204 may be located throughout a facility tomake connecting the patient support apparatus 30 to a power source moreconvenient for users. As shown in FIG. 11, the exemplary power transferdevice 200 is shown mounted to a ceiling with two power transmitters 204and associated first couplings 210 dangling from the ceiling and readyfor connection to different patient support apparatuses 30. This powertransfer device 200 may be located in a hallway, emergency room, patientroom, or the like. The power transmitters 204 may be unpowered until aconnection with a suitable power receiver 208 is detected, e.g., asdetected by one or more sensors S such as hall-effect sensors. Power maybe transferred through inductive coupling as previously described.Alternatively, the power transmitter 204 and the power receiver 208 maybe physically engaged in a wired power connection.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, an alternative power transfer device 300is shown comprising the mobile rover R employed to provide power to thepatient support apparatus 30. The mobile rover R carries the powersource in this embodiment to selectively provide power to variouspatient support apparatuses 30. The rover R is thus movable relative tothe patient support apparatus 30 and controlled to move into position asshown in FIG. 13 to dock and connect to the patient support apparatus 30to transfer energy to the patient support apparatus 30. The powertransfer device 300 comprises a power transmitter assembly 302 having apower transmitter 304. The rover R acts as a carrier for the powertransmitter 304. The power transfer device 300 may have an on-boardpower source, such as one or more batteries, or may route power from thefixed power source FPS to the patient support apparatus 30. The patientsupport apparatus 30 has a power receiving assembly 306 with a powerreceiver 308 configured to receive power from the power transmitter 304.The rover R comprises a casing 310 supported by wheels 312 to providemobility to the rover R.

The power transmitter 304 is configured to engage and physically contactthe power receiver 308 in some embodiments. The power transmitter 304comprises a first coupling 314 and the power receiver 308 comprises asecond coupling 316 adapted to engage the first coupling 314 to transferpower. The couplings 314, 316 may be configured to magnetically engageone another by employing magnets, magnetically attractive materials,and/or the like. The first coupling 314 may be connected to and fixed tothe casing 310 of the rover R. The second coupling 316 may be connectedto and fixed to the base 34 of the patient support apparatus 30 or maybe located at any other convenient location on the patient supportapparatus 30. The couplings 314, 316 may additionally or alternativelycomprise mating components such as a protruding post sized and shaped toengage a correspondingly sized and shaped pocket.

The wheels 312 may comprise combinations of swiveling caster wheels,non-swiveling wheels, powered wheels, non-powered wheels, steerablewheels, non-steerable wheels, and the like. In the embodiment shown,four wheels are provided with two of the wheels 312 being powered,non-swiveling wheels and two of the wheels 312 being non-powered,steerable wheels. Driving devices, such as drive motors DM and steeringmotors SM (see FIG. 14) are coupled to the powered wheels and thesteerable wheels. Accordingly, the rover R can be driven to selectedpatient support apparatuses or other equipment in the facility that mayrequire power. The rover R may be driven via a user input device UI (seeFIG. 14) on the rover R. The rover R could also be driven remotely by aremote input device, such a portable electronic device. Such remotedriving could be facilitated by one or more cameras (not shown) on therover R that can be viewed by an operator on the portable electronicdevice while the operator drives and steers the rover R via commandsusing the portable electronic device. Such commands may compriseapplying power to the powered wheels, discontinuing power to the poweredwheels, varying the power applied to the powered wheels, steering thesteering wheels, applying brakes, releasing brakes, and the like.

Alternatively, the rover R can be autonomously controlled by a rovercontroller 320, which can autonomously control operation of the drivemotors DM and the steering motors SM to move between locations inresponse to a charge request signal. The rover R is operable toautonomously drive into proximity of the patient support apparatus 30, acharging station 322, a maintenance station (not shown), or any otherlocation as needed. One example of an autonomous driving system thatcould be utilized is shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2016/0367415, entitled “Patient Support Apparatuses With Navigation AndGuidance Systems,” filed on Jun. 17, 2016, hereby incorporated byreference.

Referring to FIG. 14, a dispatch network is shown to control movement ofthe rovers R throughout a facility. A tracker module T may be coupled toa central controller 324 connected to the dispatch network. The trackermodule T may be wireles sly connected to navigation guidance NAVprovided on each of the rovers R to track a location of each of therovers R. The navigation guidance NAV may be provided by globalpositioning systems (GPS) or other asset tracking systems available tolocate and track movement of the rovers R throughout the facility.Information related to such locations can be routed to the dispatchnetwork via the communication devices C, such as via wirelesscommunication between the central controller 324 and the rovercontroller 320. The central controller 324 is configured to instruct therover controller 320 to transport the rover R to a desired locationbased on signals/data sent to the navigation guidance NAV from thetracker module T. The navigation guidance NAV and associated trackermodule T may be used to move the rover R autonomously. The centralcontroller 324 may also be in wireless communication with the apparatuscontrollers 90 so that the central controller 324 is provided withinformation derived from the state detectors SD regarding a currentstate of the energy storage device B on the patient support apparatus30, e.g., to determine if the energy storage device B requires charging.Based on this information, the central controller 324 may dispatch thenearest rover R to provide power and/or charge the energy storage deviceB on the patient support apparatus 30.

The central controller 324 can analyze information received from thepatient support apparatuses 30 and the rovers R so that the centralcontroller 324 knows the location, availability, and status of all ofthe patient support apparatuses 30, and whether they require power orwhen they may soon require power.

The central controller 324 may also be able to provide inventorymanagement services by estimating the availability of the rovers R, suchas by monitoring the current status of the rovers R and accounting fortime needed to carry out current tasks, and the like. For instance, eventhough a rover R may currently be charging a patient support apparatus30, the central controller 324 is able to determine the length of timeuntil charging is complete and when the rover R will be ready forcharging the next patient support apparatus 30, or when the rover Ritself requires charging such as at a nearby charging station 322. Thecentral controller 324 can store such times and display such times at acentral station, on displays connected to the central controller 324 viaanother network (e.g., local area network, wide area network), ondisplays connected to the patient support apparatuses 30 and/or therovers R, on portable electronic devices, and the like.

The central controller 324 can also estimate a time when the patientsupport apparatus 30 will be ready for use and can provide messages tousers associated with such information. Additionally, the centralcontroller 324 is configured to generate an alert in response to theenergy storage device B on a patient support apparatus 30 falling belowa threshold level and can automatically dispatch an available, andnearest rover R in response to such alerts and/or notify a caregiverassociated with the particular patient support apparatus 30. The centralcontroller 324, by knowing the location of all the rovers R being used,and their current capacity for transferring power, can command theclosest rover R to the patient support apparatus 30. All of theinformation described herein can also be transferred among any of therovers R and patient support apparatuses 30 to be displayed thereon.

The central controller 324 may comprise one or more microprocessors forprocessing instructions or for processing algorithms stored in memory totransmit, receive, and/or analyze information to/from the rovers R, thepatient support apparatuses 30, and/or the charging stations 322. Inparticular, the central controller 324 is in communication with theapparatus controllers 90, rover controllers 320, and charge stationcontrollers 326 described below to carry out these functions. Thecontrol system may be configured so that any of the rovers R can becontrolled or interrogated from any location. For instance, chargerequest signals can be made from any location through the control systemto one of the rovers R.

Locators L, like those previously described, may be used by the rovercontroller 320 to drive the drive motors DM and the steering motors SMas needed to dock the rover R to the patient support apparatus 30, i.e.,to mate the couplings 314, 316. For instance, the navigation guidanceNAV may provide gross locating of the rover R in the patient room, whilethe locators L enable docking of the rover R to the patient supportapparatus 30. Similar docking may occur between the rover R and thecharging station 322 described further below. In some cases, the roversR may be manually moved by users and manually docked to the patientsupport apparatus 30 and/or the charging stations 322. In other cases,the rover R and/patient support apparatus 30 may be equipped with theactuators A1 and/or A2 as described above to assist in aligning thepower transmitter 304 and the power receiver 308.

Referring to FIG. 15, the charging station 322 for the rovers R isschematically shown. The dispatch network is configured to determine astate of the power source on the rover R as previously described anddetermine if the rover R has adequate power to perform all of thefollowing tasks: (1) move to a desired location in response to a chargerequest signal; (2) transfer power to the power receiver 308 on thepatient support apparatus 30 at the desired location; and (3) stillreturn to the charging station 322 before the power source on the roverR is depleted. If not all of these tasks can be performed, another roverR is considered and/or the rover R is first charged before dispatch tothe patient support apparatus 30. Multiple charging stations 322 may belocated throughout the facility for charging the rovers R. The chargingstations 322 route power from the fixed power source FPS to the rovers Rto ready the rovers R for dispatch to the next patient support apparatus30 that requires charging. The charging station 322 comprises its ownpower transmitter 328 for routing power from the fixed power source FPSto a power receiver 330 on the rover R (which could be the same as thepower transmitter 304 or different).

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, another power transfer system is shownthat is similar to that shown in FIGS. 2-4. Referring to FIG. 16, analternative power transfer device 400 comprises a power transmitterassembly 402 with a power transmitter 404 that is movable relative tothe floor surface F. A power receiver assembly 406 having a powerreceiver 408 (see FIG. 17) is located on the patient support apparatus30. The power transmitter 404 and/or the power receiver 408 areconfigured to move relative to one another to align the powertransmitter 404 and the power receiver 408.

In the embodiment shown, the power receiver 408 is coupled to the base34 of the support structure 32. However, the power receiver 408 may belocated at any suitable location on the patient support apparatus 30.The power transfer device 400 is located in the floor adjacent to thefloor surface F so that the power transmitter 404 is able to move withrespect to the floor surface F. However, the power transfer device 400may be located at any suitable location to transfer power to the powerreceiver 408. For example, the power transfer device 400 may be locatedin the wall adjacent to the wall surface W.

Referring to FIG. 17, an alignment system 410 is provided to align thepower transmitter 404 with the power receiver 408 so that efficientenergy transfer occurs from the power transmitter 404 to the powerreceiver 408. Alignment may comprise any alignment between the powertransmitter 404 and the power receiver 408, such as vertical alignment,longitudinal alignment, and/or lateral alignment. Alignment may alsocomprise distance alignment, e.g., placing the power transmitter 404within a desired distance of the power receiver 408 and/or may compriseorientation alignment so that the coils of the power receiver 408 are ina desired relationship to the coils of the power transmitter 404. Otherforms of alignment are also contemplated.

The alignment system 410 comprises a first carrier 412 coupled to thepower transmitter 404 and a second carrier 414 coupled to the powerreceiver 408. The alignment system 410 further comprises one or morebiasing devices 416, such as springs, arranged to enable one or both ofthe carriers 412, 414 to move relative to their respective housings 411,413 to align the power transmitter 404 and the power receiver 408 in anymanner previously described. In the embodiment of FIG. 17, the firstcarrier 412 is movable relative to the base 34 of the support structure32, the floor surface F, and/or the wall surface W to align the powertransmitter 404 and the power receiver 408.

The first carrier 412 comprises a body suspended in the housing 411 bythe biasing devices 416 so that the first carrier 412 is able to bemanipulated in multiple degrees of freedom relative to the housing 411,such as in six degrees of freedom. The second carrier 414 comprises aguide 418 coupled to the power receiver 408. The guide 418 comprises oneor more geometric features shaped to engage and guide the first carrier412 such that the power transmitter 404 aligns with the power receiver408 once the patient support apparatus 30 is wheeled into position overthe power transfer device 400. More specifically, in the embodimentshown, the guide 418 comprises a pair of guide walls 420 defining awidth that narrows toward the power receiver 408 so that the powertransmitter 404 is guided toward the power receiver 408 and the patientsupport apparatus 30 is wheeled into its final position over the powertransfer device 400. FIG. 17 illustrates the guide 418 prior to engagingthe first carrier 412.

In operation, as the patient support apparatus 30 is wheeled intoposition over the power transfer device 400, if the power transmitter404 is not in alignment with the power receiver 408, the first carrier412 is engaged by the guide walls 420. FIG. 17 shows two misalignedlongitudinal axes X1, X2 that are to be aligned by virtue of the guide418. Owing to the weight of the patient support apparatus 30, and therelatively low force of the springs suspending the first carrier 412,the first carrier 412 is passively movable to adjust in position toslide along the guide 418 until the power transmitter 404 is fullyreceived in the guide 418 and in alignment with the power receiver 408.Such alignment can be indicated by any of the indicators I previouslydescribed. Other guides are contemplated as well. Furthermore, physicalcoupling between the power transmitter 404 and the power receiver 408,such as through magnetically attractive components, may be employed tofurther ensure alignment. In this embodiment, the alignment system 410operates manually to align the power transmitter 404 with the powerreceiver 408.

Referring to FIG. 18, an alternative patient support apparatus 530comprises a cot and an alternative power transfer device 500 comprises aloading system 502 configured to load the cot into a vehicle, such as anambulance, helicopter, and the like. The loading system 502 comprises alatch assembly 504. In this embodiment, a power transmitter 506 iscoupled to the latch assembly 504 to transfer power to a power receiver508 on the cot. The power receiver 508 may be located on the cot in aposition such that, when latched to the loading system 502, the powerreceiver 508 is aligned with the power transmitter 506. The latchassembly 504 thus acts as a carrier in this embodiment to carry and movethe power transmitter 506 and align it with the power receiver 508 whenthe cot is latched to the loading system 502.

It will be further appreciated that the terms “include,” “includes,” and“including” have the same meaning as the terms “comprise,” “comprises,”and “comprising.”

Several embodiments have been discussed in the foregoing description.However, the embodiments discussed herein are not intended to beexhaustive or limit the invention to any particular form. Theterminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of wordsof description rather than of limitation. Many modifications andvariations are possible in light of the above teachings and theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of transferring power to a powerreceiver coupled to an energy storage device of a patient supportapparatus, the method comprising: moving the patient support apparatustowards a power transfer device having a controller and a powertransmitter coupled to a power source; operating the controller of thepower transfer device to generate a magnetic field with the powertransmitter; moving a carrier of an alignment system with an actuator toalign the power transmitter of the power transfer device with the powerreceiver of the patient support apparatus based on the magnetic fieldgenerated by the power transmitter; and delivering power from the powersource to the energy storage device of the patient support apparatuswith the power transmitter aligned with the power receiver.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein moving the carrier of the alignment system isfurther defined as moving the power receiver coupled to the actuator toalign the power transmitter of the power transfer device with the powerreceiver of the patient support apparatus based on the magnetic fieldgenerated by the power transmitter.
 3. The method of claim 2, furthercomprising moving a second carrier of the alignment system with a secondactuator coupled to the power transmitter to align the power transmitterof the power transfer device with the power receiver of the patientsupport apparatus based on the magnetic field generated by the powertransmitter.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the power transfer deviceis disposed on a floor surface and the second actuator is configured tomove the power transmitter relative to the floor surface.
 5. The methodof claim 3, wherein the power transfer device is disposed on a wallsurface and the second actuator is configured to move the powertransmitter relative to the wall surface.
 6. The method of claim 1,further comprising: determining, via a sensor, if power is beingtransferred from the power transmitter to the power receiver; andindicating, via an indicator coupled to the controller, that power isbeing transferred from the power transmitter to the power receiver,wherein the indicator comprises one or more of a visual indicator, anaudible indicator, and a tactile indicator.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising engaging a first coupling of the power transmitter inphysical contact with a second coupling of the power receiver.
 8. Themethod of claim 7, wherein the first and second couplings are configuredto magnetically engage.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprisingwirelessly transferring power from an inductive power transmitter of thepower transmitter to an inductive power receiver of the power receiver.10. The method of claim 1, wherein the power receiver is located on asupport structure of the patient support apparatus.
 11. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the carrier comprises a post and the actuator of thealignment system is configured to extend and retract the post relativeto the power receiver to transfer power.
 12. The method of claim 1,wherein the power transfer device comprises a robotic arm ofarticulating segments supporting the power transmitter to align thepower transmitter with the power receiver.
 13. The method of claim 1,further comprising locating, with a sensor of a locator coupled to thealignment system, one or more of the power receiver and the power; andwherein moving the carrier of the alignment system includes driving theactuator in an automated based on signals generated by the sensor of thelocator.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient supportapparatus comprises a cot; and the power transfer device comprises aloading system configured to load the cot into a vehicle, the loadingsystem including a latch assembly with the power transmitter beingcoupled to the latch assembly.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein thepatient support apparatus comprises a second controller coupled to thepower receiver and to the actuator.
 16. The method of claim 1, whereinthe alignment system is configured to be manually operated.
 17. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising engaging the patient supportapparatus to passively move the carrier.
 18. The method of claim 1,wherein the power transfer device comprises a rover movable relative tothe patient support apparatus; and further comprising carrying the powersource with the rover.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:determining a location of the rover with a tracker module coupled to adispatch network; communicating a state the energy storage device to thedispatch network; communicating a state of the power source to thedispatch network; and instructing the rover to move to a desiredlocation based on data from the tracker module.